Guatemala Antigua

Country

Guatemala
14.593185°

Processing Station / Farmer

Pastores
San Sebastian

Growing Altitude / Region

1,500 – 1,700 m
Sacatepéquez

Variety

Bourbon
(100% Arabica)

Processing

washed

Intensity / Flavor

dark chocolate, cocoa, hazelnut

Recommended brewing methods:

French Press

Melitta

Aeropress

Guatemala Antigua – many small farmers help give it a name recognized around the world

Antigua is a small town in the heart of the Sacatepéquez coffee region. The fertile soils here offer ideal conditions for growing Arabica beans. At elevations above 1,600 meters, on the slopes of the Agua volcano, “Genuine Antigua Quality” thrives. Around the world, this name stands for the highest quality coffee. Countless small farmers live here, each producing 50 to 100 bags of coffee per year. Farmers often cannot process their fresh harvest themselves, so they use the central Beneficio de Café Pastores processing station. The ripe cherries, picked by hand, are depulped, fermented, and dried under the Guatemalan sun. Like most coffees from Guatemala, our Antigua is washed.

Beneficio de Café Pastores – from grain mill to state-of-the-art coffee facility

This facility has a long history: its beginnings as a grain mill date back to the late 19th century, and coffee processing began here in the middle of the 20th century. After 60 years of continuous coffee production, the facility underwent a comprehensive renovation a few years ago and was equipped with new separators and depulpers. These not only improve its already high quality, but also reduce the amount of water needed for processing by around 90%.

The drying facilities also benefit from innovation. At other facilities, fermented parchment beans often dry on large cement patios. The sun heats the ground and, in turn, the beans considerably. This often makes drying very quick, which can unfortunately compromise quality. The Beneficio’s new brick floor absorbs moisture from the beans and does not heat up as much due to evaporative cooling. Even drying allows the beans to develop their full flavor and also helps prevent mold.

Guatemala – ideal conditions for the finest specialty coffees

Guatemala produces some of the best coffee in the world, especially in the area around the former capital, Antigua, where its flavor is shaped by centuries-old coffee-growing traditions. Most of Guatemala’s coffee plantations are located in the south of the country, on the volcanic mountain slopes of the Sierra Madra. The descendants of the Maya have embraced this Old World crop with great expertise and make the most of their resources to create a modern product of the highest quality. The unique combination of an excellent location, tradition, and innovation in Guatemala provides ideal conditions for our exceptional coffee.